An Annoying Affinity
by akamai
Summary: Just a bit of advice Sasuke: Never unintentionally admit that she's beautiful. SasuSaku.
1. Part One

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

**An Annoying Affinity**

Trying to move as quietly as possible, Sakura leaned forward on the couch and peeked over her novel. She was glad the furniture did not creak, but dismayed when she saw his expression.

He was still staring as darkly and intently as ever, and she could sense a bit of irritability. Sakura rehearsed her last words to him in her head once more, and gravely wondered what she had said wrong this time.

Once he cleared his throat, her eyes quickly fluttered back to her book. She wanted to speak with him, but not have to witness his fierce gaze at the same time.

"So...why can't you go the Cherry Blossom Festival again?"

"I told you before," Sasuke growled. "I'm allergic to pollen."

Sakura stifled a giggled and suddenly remembered that it was her laughter which had provoked his anger in the first place. The big, bad, Uchiha was allergic? And to pollen of all things, which made cherry blossoms his weakness. It was clearly amusing.

No wonder he never seemed to care for the flowers she left for him at the hospital.

Sakura looked back up at Sasuke and his expression was adamant. "No you're not," she argued, still in disbelief. "You just don't want to go."

"That part is true too," Sasuke muttered, and Sakura wrinkled her nose. "Stop trying to drag me to that childish festival."

"I can't believe this," Sakura muttered.

'_What is so hard to believe?'_ Sasuke thought. Cherry blossoms made him sick, miserable, and grumpy. They were also annoying. Much like Sakura's affect on him.

His expression relaxed when he saw Sakura put down her book on the table between them. Sakura crossed her legs and bit her lip, which made Sasuke assume that she was pondering. When she released her lip, she spoke. "Well, if you can't go...I'll describe them for you."

Sasuke closed his eyes in annoyance. "Don't bother," he told her. "They're just a bunch of stupid flowers."

Sakura frowned, and much to Sasuke's surprise, glared at him. "'A bunch of stupid flowers, eh?'" She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Did you know..." she hissed, "...that 'Sakura' means cherry blossom?"

Sasuke averted his eyes from Sakura's. She could be irritable at times, but he didn't intend to insult her. Why would he, Uchiha Sasuke, know the meanings of flowers in the first place? "...I wouldn't know that," he responded, abruptly.

Ignoring Sasuke, Sakura sniffed and picked up her book once more. She opened it to a random page, and Sasuke was positive she was not really reading. He huffed, wanting to kick himself for what he was about to do.

"I...don't think you're stupid either."

Sakura looked up, perplexed. She raised one eyebrow and Sasuke spoke once more.

"It's not you that's really bad...it's those flowers."

"They're not all that bad," Sakura countered. "Anyone who can see knows that they're beautiful, and even if you can't really smell them that well...they smell good."

"Aa."

"...and cherry blossoms are everywhere this time of year," she continued, with a hint of euphoria. "So they'll always been with you."

Sasuke snorted. "Stop comparing yourself to a flower."

Sakura's mouth formed into an 'O' and she closed her mouth. "Actually...I wasn't anymore."

He was silenced, and a gentle smile appeared on Sakura's face. She looked away from Sasuke's general direction. Was he really thinking what she thought he was?

"What...made you think I was still comparing them to me?" Sakura slowly asked, as Sasuke swiftly stood up with a wave of his hand.

"Nothing...I misunderstood you."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I'm still writing the story in progress, but I wanted to write this before I started my homework. It's a two shot and I'll try putting up the other part later this week. If you really liked it please review! 


	2. Part Two

**An Annoying Affinity (Part Two)**

"So. He thinks you're pretty."

"He didn't say that!"

"Ok, sorry! I meant to say 'He thinks you're _beautiful_.'"

"Stop it, Ino pig-chan!"

Fuming, Sakura smashed her plastic cup down, spilling its contents all over the table. She glanced uneasily at the bystanders who had begun to stare and tried to regain her composure.

Today just wasn't Sakura's day. It was hot, noisy, crowded, and she was beginning to regret ever mentioning the conversation she had with Sasuke to Ino. The girl was driving her mad, really.

"Not so loud," Sakura muttered. "Does everyone in Konoha have to know?"

Ino grinned. Sakura watched her carefully as Ino knelt down and pulled a strand of hair from her friend's ear to whisper in. "People are already talking, Sakura. I refused to believe it at first, but even I can see it..."

The pink haired kunoichi raised her eyebrow. "What?" she demanded, while Ino giggled loudly in her ear.

"You and Sasuke-kun are an item, aren't you?"

"WHAT?" Sakura shouted. She stood up, knocking Ino away from her. Apparently Ino's assumption occupied Sakura enough to ignore nearby pairs of eyes scrutinizing her. Her cheeks were now tinted on obvious pink, much to Ino's delight. Sakura glared at Ino and subsequently sighed. "I'm going for a walk."

She hurriedly departed from her friend, feeling as if the whole world were watching her. And her whole world just happened to be Konoha. It was a small village, which was definitely not good for gossip.

Sakura stopped by a tree and absorbed what the other kunoichi had declared. Just how many people did Ino hear talking about her relationship with Sasuke?

_She's pulling your leg,_ an old friend, Inner Sakura, suggested.

"Ino wouldn't do that," Sakura muttered. She was her rival, less of one than the past however, but not the type to create slander about her. But, she had no qualms over Inner Sakura's suggestion.

She smiled, satisfied with her conclusion. _Sasuke and me an item? Fat chance, s_he thought, quickly running through all of her past public interactions with Sasuke. _What would give people that id—?_

Sakrua grunted as she bumped into a solid, rudely interrupting her thoughts. Swinging her arms, she stumbled back and _he_ caught her wrist.

They stared at one another, and Sakura considered running. It had just registered to her that Sasuke might have thought that she was the one spreading rumors about them. Instead, she swallowed her fear and spoke.

"You came," she croaked, and plastered on a smile.

"I need to talk to you," he urgently responded, and Sakura's heart sank.

They walked farther away from the festival while encountering curious glances from their neighbors. Sakura admired that Sasuke was able to ignore the attention, because could never be nonchalant about people gawking at her.

"So you've heard the rumors?" she whispered, once they were far from hearing distance. Before he could respond she closed her eyes. "Well,_ that's_ just great."

Sasuke looked perplexed, and Sakura upon seeing this Sakura wished she could take back what she said.

"What are you going on about?" he cautiously asked her after a minute.

She gave a short laugh. "People think we're dating."

When Sakura was younger, she had always wanted to see Uchiha Sasuke's expression when he found out that people knew they were dating. In her fairy tale land, Sasuke's expression was brilliant and as jubilant as hers was.

Today, Sakura wanted to look anywhere else but him. She focused on the voices of the villagers in the distance and took interest on the sole of her left foot. Sasuke didn't say anything, and to clear the awkwardness, Sakura continued.

"Look, I'm sorry if I've been all over you in public. Maybe if I wasn't so clingy people wouldn't think we were dating."

"You're not clingy," Sasuke told her, with finality. "This isn't what I wanted to talk to you about."

Sakura's interest piqued, as she was glad to leave that conversation behind. She eagerly spoke. "What is it then?"

Sasuke looked nervous, but Sakura figured she was just imagining things. As far as she was concerned, the youngest Uchiha was not capable of getting nervous. She reconsidered when she noticed that he was still holding on to her wrist, and his grip had tightened.

"That conversation the other day (Sakura winced. Suddenly, she actually wanted to go back to their previous conversation)...did I give you the wrong impression?"

"I know you said you misunderstood me," she responded, choosing her words carefully. "No worries."

"You accept things easily now," Sasuke pointed out.

"Right," Sakura agreed, slightly dismayed. "So, those cherry blossoms that I said were beautiful, nice smelling and everywhere has nothing in common with what you think of me?"

"Hn." There was a pause. "You don't want to know what I think of you."

He started walking farther from the festival, and when he turned and glanced at Sakura, she followed. She ran to catch up with him.

"You don't want to know," he repeated, with a visible smirk. "Not yet."

"So people think we're dating," he resumed, and pondered for a quick moment. Sakura glanced at him cautiously; surprised he would bring up the subject again. "Hn. Who cares?"

"It's stupid, isn't it?" Sakura muttered and vigorously nodded. It wasn't until she turned around when she noticed that the festival was far behind them. "Well...do you want to go back to the festival then?"

"No. I'm still allergic to pollen, and I still don't want to go."

Sakura heaved a large sigh, full of amusement and exaggeration. Sasuke stopped his pace to look at her. He looked apprehensive, and his expression settled into sincerity.

"Really…I'd rather spend time with you."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Ugh. This did not turn out the way I wanted it to at all. I have some favorite parts in here, but I feel like a better story could have come out of the first part. Some things people might not get: 

1. When Sasuke says that he doesn't want Sakura to know what he thinks of her, make of it as you will. It could be something crazy going on in his mind, but it's a good thing. My interpretation was that he didn't think Sakura was ready to hear that he might have feelings for her at that time.

2. In Sasuke's last line he is basically saying he'd rather spend time with the real 'cherry blossom' rather than the flowers at the festival.

Now, please spend one second and review! Thanks for reading. :)


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